The possibility of thousands of patient CT scans, MRI scans and X-rays being read simultaneously is not as far away as we think, if cognitive computing takes over the health sector.
Technology strategy leader Dr Simon Eassom, from the IBM Global Education Industry is speaking at the Gold Coast Health and Medical Research Conference 2016 on the power and scope of opportunities that cognitive computing offers.
The two-dayconference, which began today, ishosted by Griffith University’s Menzies Health Institute Queenslandat the QT Hotel in Surfers Paradise
Dr Eassom is presenting on the ways in which cognitive computing (also known as artificial intelligence) is already working and proving its capability in augmenting human work expertise, especially within the health industry.
“When a cognitive computer is trained to work like a human mind, which is what we are already now able to do, it can do any number of tasks that the human can do but at a massively greater speed and scale,” says Dr Eassom.
“A cognitive computer has the ability to read thousands of medical scans and find anomalies within them in a much shorter timeframe than a human can.
Sheer volume of data
“The problem we are faced with now is in keeping up with the sheer volume of medical research and data that is being produced in our society.
“To put this into context, we can confidently expect that over the next five years we will see the amount of health data double approximately every seven months. We simply cannot keep up as humans and therefore we need cognitive computing to accelerate our rate of discovery.”
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Dr Eassom says that we need to quickly adapt to cognitive computing.
“Education within schools is paramount to ensure that all children are involved in application development with cognitive computers. This will eventually become as ubiquitous as the internet is to us now.
“Secondly, we need to understand that the workforce of the future is going to look very different to what it is currently. Some job functions are becoming redundant and we need to work out where changes will occur.
“Any jobs within the health sector where someone is acting as an interface between a medical professional and the patient, for example technicians or call centre operatives, could have their position taken over by a computer which will be able to do anything from read a scan and book an appointment to potentially even prescribe patient treatment.”
Dr Eassom’s presentation will be responded to by other health industry specialists as part of a panel session at the conference moderated by ABC Science presenter Bernie Hobbs.
Gold Coast Health and Medical Research Conference 2016
WHEN:Thursday December 1 and Friday December 2.
Registration from 7:30am.
WHERE: QT Hotel, Surfers Paradise.
CONTACT: Louise Durack, 0419 649 516 or email: [email protected]
Major improvements in the diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome areexpected following the awarding of $4 million in funding to one of Australia’s foremost authorities on the condition.
Professors Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik and Don Staines and Dr Samantha Johnston from the National Centre For Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED) at Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University were awardedthe funding from the Stafford Fox Medical Research Foundation as part of a bid to accelerate the diagnosis of CFS and the discovery of appropriate treatments.
CFS, also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), is a highly debilitatingdisorder characterised by profound fatigue, muscle and joint pain, cerebral symptoms ofimpaired memory and concentration, impaired cardiovascular function, gut disorder andsensory dysfunction such as noise intolerance and balance disturbance.
Many cases cancontinue for months or years. It is believed around 200,000 Australians are affected. The prevalence rate of CFS/ME worldwide is estimated around 1.2 per cent.
“This grant is the largest amount ever awarded for CFS research,” says Professor Staines. The funding from the Stafford Fox Medical Research Foundation will allow Griffith to develop and deliver the first-of-its-kind diagnostic blood test which uses novel technologies to identify genetic markers for CFS.
“Importantly we are now able to develop a laboratory test which confirms the diagnosis in patients with a clinically compatible illness.
“The development of this test will not only provide legitimacy to patients’ illness, but will also mean that health professionals such as GPs and specialists can provide a faster diagnosis for each patient. This will reduce the burden on our healthcare system which spends around $500 million on inappropriate healthcare for CFS each year.
CFS diagnostic test within 5 years
“The diagnostic test will likely be available to the medical community within five years as we continue to study larger groups of CFS patients. Importantly this funding will also enable researchers at NCNED to investigate possible pharmacological treatments,” says Professor Marshall-Gradisnik.
“The Stafford Fox Medical Research Foundation grant will also enable NCNED researchers to further explore the proven receptor dysfunction in this condition using world-first technology.
“The funding will further enhance our scientific research which demonstrates functional changes in certain cell receptors, which are associated with the pathology of CFS.”
The funding award is the second round of funding from the Stafford Fox Medical Research Foundation which previously provided $2.5 million to NCNED to investigate CFS and develop the diagnostic test.
Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor and Pro Vice Chancellor of Research, Professor Ned Pankhurst says this outstanding achievement by NCNED researchers at Griffith is a landmark contribution to CFS research worldwide.
“The concentration of research talent at NCNED has resulted in world-first scientific discoveries that underpin the pathology of this illness, enabling further advancements in delivering a diagnostic test and possible treatments in the near future.”
The NCNED team is presenting research at this week’s Gold Coast Health and Medical Research Conference 2016 (1-2 December 2016). The Conference has the theme of Translating research for the prevention of chronic disease. The 2-day conference is being held at theQT Hotel, Surfers Paradise.
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Griffith University researchers continue to lead the way in harnessing renewable energy sources that will be the next generation of clean fuel, as well as enhanced solar conversion and energy storage devices.
The latest research presented in the paper Ultrathin metal—organic framework nanosheets for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution, published in Nature Energy, shows that an ultrathin catalyst could be used to split water into its two components, oxygen and hydrogen, which can then be converted to be used as a fuel.
While it is already scientifically possible to split water in this way, highly efficient catalysts like this are the key to moving the system to one that is economically viable.
Professor Huijin Zhao, the Director of Griffith’s Centre for Clean Environment and Energy (CCEE) says just as solar light can generate electricity, the water splitting process could do the same via the generation of clean chemical fuel such as hydrogen.
“The world is now facing five major issues for humanity — energy, environment, water, food security and public health,” he says.
“Global warming is ranked first and it’s all resulting from burning fossil fuels because that’s where carbon dioxide comes from.
“To reduce this and to make the global temperature not rise beyond 2C you have to find clean, renewable energy and hydrogen equals clean energy.
“It’s part of the solution — if we really can split water into two that will be one scientific solution for the future of sustainable energy supplies.”
Professor Huijun Zhao, Director of the Centre for Clean Environment and Energy
Prof Zhao said hydrogen would be a promising clean fuel over petrol in forseable future.
“Scientifically it’s already demonstrated, it’s already working but to do this in a way that’s economically viable, there’s still a bit of work to do and we need government policy, general public support, and you also need those big companies to realise they should not dig up out of the ground anymore,” he said.
“It’s not just a simple technology issue.”
Prof Zhao, who also sits within the Environmental Futures Research Institute,was also recently awarded$401,000in the Australian Research Council Projects for 2017 for 2D-Nanoporous Structured High Performance Gas Evolution Electrocatalysts.
Heterogeneous electrocatalytic gas evolution reactions hold a key for clean energy generation and storage technologies, but their efficiencies are severely hindered by high overpotentials caused by slow gaseous products detachment from catalyst surface.
Overpotentials represent the extra energy required to make a chemical reaction to occur. The higher the overpotential, the higher the energy consumption.
This project aims to tackle this critical issue by developing novel two-dimensional ultrathin porous electrocatalysts with superior gas detachment properties and low overpotentials. The outcome of the project will provide sound scientific basis to design and develop high performance electrocatalysts for fuel gas production.
There are concerning knowledge gaps about the women killed by their intimate partners according to new Griffith University research.
Dr Samara McPhedran, who will present a paper at the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology Conference in Hobart today, said while much is known about the men who kill their partners little is known about the victims of that violence.
“For sadly obvious reasons, victims are unable to tell us directly about their experiences. We really do not know much about those women and their situations from their own perspectives,’’ said Dr McPhedran, a researcher at Griffith’s Violence Research and Prevention Program.
She said limited international research had tried to understand victims’ experiences through looking at official data sources, such as police or coroners reports, or by interviewing family or friends of the victim.
“But not a single piece of Australian research into intimate partner homicide has combined these different types of information to build a comprehensive, unique picture of intimate partner homicide victims’ lives.
“This lack of in-depth research makes it difficult to identify women at high risk, to shape appropriate responses and services for those women, and to understand where and how our existing systems and policies may be falling short.”
She said improved victim-focussed knowledge about women who are killed by intimate partners is needed to inform effective practices to assess risk, and to more effectively support women in all aspects of their lives.
“Until we know more about the women who become victims of lethal violence, it will remain challenging to reduce intimate partner homicide and violence against women more generally.”
Congratulations to all 2016 Queensland College of Art (QCA) graduates including the following students awarded across the 2016 QCA graduate exhibitions at the Queensland College of Art, QCA Gold Coast and the Griffith Film School.
DIGITAL MEDIA (QCA Gold Coast)
Image: Grace Keidge
“The exploration of convergence through art and science is a recurring thought in each piece I create. From abstract organic design to rehabilitation devices, my practice shows connections to both fields. I create for purpose and creation is my purpose.” — Grace Keidge
$2,000 ADFAS Scholarship for outstanding performance by a student continuing on to study Honours
Recipient: Grace Keidge
3 Dimensional Design Academic Achievement Award
Recipient: Alex Innocenti
Best 3 Dimensional Design Portfolio
Recipient: Tatenda Dhobha
Digital Design Academic Achievement Award
Recipient: Anjelica Hazlewood
Best Digital Design Portfolio
Recipient: Anjelica Hazlewood
Photo Media Academic Achievement Award
Recipient: Emmy Peterson
Best Photo Media Portfolio
Recipient: Samantha Manchee
Graphic Design Academic Achievement Award
Recipient: Aira Pimping
Best Graphic Design Portfolio
Recipient: Aira Pimping
Typism Award for Graphic Design skill and encouragement sponsored by Typism
Recipient: Jessee Rayner
Industrial Design Academic Achievement Award
Recipient: Rex Whiticker
Best Industrial Design Portfolio
Recipient: Adrian McCormack
Best Industrial Design Industry Project
Recipient: Rizal Evans
Typism Award for Graphic Design skill and encouragement sponsored by Typism
Recipient: Jessee Rayner
Honours Excellence in Research Award
Recipient: Alyson Baker
Best Honours Research Project
Recipient: Alyson Baker
QCA Gold Coast Student Culture Awards
Recipients: CJ Anderson, Emmy Peterson, Georgina McDonald, Phillip Rudnev
DESIGN
Gemma Davis — Liveworm Award for Excellence
entica Bursary for excellence in Design
Recipient: Sarah Goodhew
Liveworm Award for excellence in Design
Recipient: Gemma Davis
Design Institute of Australia Encouragement Award (Visual Communication)
Recipient: Sarah Goodhew
Design Institute of Australia Encouragement Award (Product Design)
Recipient: Michiellie Chapman
Design Institute of Australia Encouragement Award (Interior Design)
Recipient: Isabelle Fitzsimons
FINE ART
Rachael Wellisch – St Andrews War Memorial Hospital Award
Indigo split by a thread, 2016, Indigo dyed cotton mounted onto layered plywood, 43.5 x 36 x 7cm
Indigo opening out and reflecting, 2016, Indigo dyed cotton mounted onto layered plywood with aluminium, 43 x 43 x 7.5cm
“I focus on the transition of matter to cultural object. In a dialogue with New Materialism, I use materials such as indigo dye and timber, introducing the organic to geometric and abstract forms.” — Rachael Wellisch, Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours).
Iain Turnbull Memorial Award presented to the fine art student at QCA judged to have displayed the most outstanding progress and potential for future development in printmaking
Recipient: Grace Collinson
Bonnie English Memorial Award presented to the fine art student with the highest academic achievement in 3rd year Art Theory courses
Recipient: Sophie Reid-Singer
St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital Award recognising artistic merit
Recipient: Rachael Wellisch
The Trevor Lyons Award: an annual award in memory of Trevor Lyons for presentation to a print media student of the QCA who has displayed commitment and passion in printmaking during their studies and is likely to continue working in this field.
Recipient: Shelley Fisher
QAGOMA Bookstore Book Prize for Best Presentation in Graduate Show
Recipient: Liam Hollinger
Bruce Heiser Book Prize for best average grade across painting 3 and 4 courses
Recipient: Venessa Williams Starzynski
Oxlades Art Essentials Undergraduate Painting Award
Recipient: Andrew Dredge
Oxlades Art Essentials Undergraduate Print Media Award
Recipient: Rachel Dunn
Oxlades Art Essentials Undergraduate Sculpture Award
Recipient: Merete Megarrity
Oxlades Art Essentials Undergraduate Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art Award
Recipient: Tory-Jay Mordey
Oxlades Art Essentials Undergraduate Jewellery and Small Objects Award
Recipient: Vivien Bedwell
Oxlades Art Essentials Undergraduate Drawing Award
Recipient: Sophie Reid-Singer
Melbourne Etching Supplies Award
Recipient: Rachel Dunn
JEWELLERY AND SMALL OBJECTS
Congratulations to the recipients of 2016 J&SO Graduate Awards. Thank you to our sponsors and to guest judge, CEO of Artisan, Claire Sourgnes.
Vivien Bedwell — recipient of Jewellery and Small Objects awards When Two Become One, 2016, sterling silver, oxidisation, silk thread pendant (2.5 x 6 x 1.8cm) on 85cm chain Merged Cities, 2016, sterling silver, oxidisation, 9ct gold solder, Bangle 1: 7.6 x 7.6 x 0.2cm, Bangle 2: 7.7 x 7.7 x 0.2cm
“My 2016 works investigate the phenomenology of heritage, diversity, and the blurring of traditional boundaries. I look at first-hand experience and the knowledge that is gained from crossing cultural backgrounds. I explore traditional ideas, methods, and maps to amalgamate them into abstract forms that are encrypted with meaning and identity. I challenge the viewer to look further into the works to find their personal interpretation.” — Vivien Bedwell, Bachelor of Fine Art (Jewellery and Small Objects).
Australian Jewellers Supplies Highly Commended
Recipient: Stephanie Rachael Corthorne
Australian Jewellers Supplies Highly Commended
Recipient: Juliana Platt
Australian Jewellers Supplies Award for excelling in technical exploration
Recipient: Jordana Angus
Morris and Watson Award for outstanding body of work
Recipient: Olesya Zolotaya
Pallion Group Award for most outstanding series of work
Recipient: Sarah Beutel
Peter W Beck Award for outstanding individual piece
Recipient: Vivien Bedwell for #288
Lorraine Larter Award for outstanding installation
Recipient: Vivien Bedwell
Aspirational Award for the greatest improvement
Recipient:Helen Moriarty
Jewellers and Metalsmiths Group of Australia, Queensland (JMGQ) awarded to a student for a strong commitment to and participation in the wider jewellery community
Recipient: Andrew Gall
PHOTOGRAPHY
Emma Wright — Sun Studios Award recipient Strung, 2016, still from high definition single channel video, 85 x 120cm
“My photo media practice centres around the construction of still and moving images in order to deconstruct social norms. My work typically responds to and intervenes in public and private spaces through performance and/or the use of found and hand-made props.” — Emma Wright, Bachelor of Photography (Photographic Art Practice).
TheSt Aiden’s Anglican Girls School Award recognising artistic merit from a photography student
Recipient: Tahlia Stehbens
St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School Award recognising artistic merit from a photography student
Recipient: Thomas Oliver
The Sun Studios Award presented to the student whose work best demonstrates, technical excellence and conceptual depth within any of the three photography majors
Recipient: Emma Wright
CR Kennedy Award for excellence in Photographic Documentary Practice in still and moving image
Recipient: Sara Wihlborg
CR Kennedy Award for excellence in Photographic Art Practice in still and moving image
Recipient: Emma Wright
Kayell QLD Awardfor excellence in Creative Advertising in still and moving image
Recipient: Mark Gauld
AIPP Award for creativity
Recipient: Corrina Butt
Anna Smith Prize for innovation and excellence in portraiture
Recipient: Daniel Foster
The Jacky Owens Award for best citizen
Recipient: Lisa Kurtz
TEDS Camera Stores Photography Award presented to a graduating photography student in recognition of innovation in historic technology
Recipient: Shannon Nielsen
CameraPro Award presented to a graduating photography student in recognition of excellence in an advertising body of work with a strong conceptual framework in still and moving image
Recipient: Yen Nguyen
John McKay Memorial Award presented to the photography student with the highest GPA continuing into Honours.
Recipient: Thomas Oliver
GRIFFITH FILM SCHOOL
2016 LiveLab Award
Recipient:Joint winners — Bobbi-Lea Dionysius, Liam Keogh, and Ynte Lammertsma.
FILM
Most Outstanding Director
Recipient:Alex Greaves — Luminous
Most Outstanding Script
Recipient:Siobhan Domingo — Double
Most Outstanding Performance (Male)
Recipient:Shaun King — Luminous
Most Outstanding Performance (Female)
Recipient:Caitlin Hill — Double
Most Outstanding Cinematography
Recipient:Dan Hodgson — Marvellous Perry
Most Outstanding Production Design
Recipient:Marina Pennisi — Luminous
Most Outstanding Sound Design
Recipient:Liam Polmear — File Fantasy
Most Outstanding Editing
Recipient:Matthew Hobson — Push
Most Outstanding VFX
Recipient:Josh Kell — File Fantasy
Most Outstanding Music
Recipient:Adrian Jones; Mark Mooney; Jamie O’Neill — Unconditional
Most Outstanding Documentary
Recipient:Shannen Tunnicliffe; Claire Randall — Wolfe
High Distinction in Film Production
Recipient: Red Kite
ANIMATION
Most Outstanding Achievement in Character Animation
Recipient: On Duty
Most Outstanding Achievement in Production Design
Recipient: Only
Best Background Art
Recipient: Luke Brohman — Spirit Knight & Brick and Micky
Best Background Art
Recipient: Rob Corless — Furu Ike
Most Outstanding Director
Recipient: Naomi Scutts — Greb
Most Outstanding Script
Recipient: Herokid’s Quest
Most Outstanding Concept
Recipient: Love Bird
Best Portfolio
Recipient: William Pietsch
The Cheeky Little Award
Recipient: The Toll
Overall Highest Achievement in Animation Production
Recipient: The Toll
GAMES DESIGN
Most Outstanding Visual Achievement
Recipient:Ruby Black — Morrigna
Most Outstanding Audio Achievement
Recipient:William Walker — Deepest Dark
Most Outstanding Narrative Achievement
Recipient: Ashleigh Duggan — Red | Green
Most Outstanding Technical Achievement
Recipient: Ewan Hickey — Siege
Most Outstanding Game Design Achievement
Recipient: Thomas Bryne — Deepest Dark
Overall Highest Achievement in Games Design (Best Game)
Recipient:Ruby Black; George Greentree; Jack Knight; Leo Mirzaie — Morrigna
The complications and high costs associated with dental implants could be a thing of the past as Griffith research aims to reduce the associated risks of infection using cutting-edge nanotechnology.
The study is being led by post-doctoral researcher Dr Karan Gulati from the university’s School of Dentistry and Oral Health/Menzies Health Institute Queensland, who is presenting his research at this week’s Gold Coast Health and Medical Research Conference at the QT Hotel, Surfers Paradise (Dec 1-2).
Hundreds of thousands of Australians need dental implants each year but the risks of infection and poor stability can be high, particularly if the patient has a condition such as osteoporosis or diabetes, which may compromise the dental healing process.
However early stage nanotechnology techniques in animal studies are now showing promise in allowing faster integration of an implant in order to prevent bacteria from setting in.
Nanotechnology is science, engineering and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers.
“The technology I am using enables me to nano-engineer the surface of commercially established implants with nanotubes, which can later be loaded with drugs such as antibiotics or proteins for maximised therapeutic effect.”
“When these are inserted into the patient’s jaw, they improve soft- (gingiva) and hard-tissue (bone) integration and therefore dramatically decrease the likelihood of oral microbes being able to enter the tissue,” says Dr Gulati.
Related item:
Conference targets chronic disease prevention
“Based on the initial results, we expect to achieve early implant stability and long-term success of such therapeutic dental implants.”
“In addition, the overall costs to the patient are expected to be reduced, considering that there will be no expenses associated with follow up drug treatment, cleaning of possible bacterial attachment or correction of implant failure”
The ground-breaking work is still in the very early stages, however clinical trials are planned to commence in 2017.
Dr Gulati says this implant technology can easily be extended to orthopaedic implants.
Health and Medical Research Conference 2016
WHEN: Thursday December 1 and Friday December 2.
Registration from 7:30am.
WHERE: QT Hotel, Surfers Paradise.
CONTACT: Louise Durack, 0419 649 516 or email: [email protected]
The future of election polling will be based on social media comments and data, according to a Griffith University researcher who correctly predicted Donald Trump as US President.
Head of School of Information Communication Technology, Associate Professor Bela Stantic, who is also Director of Big Data and Smart Analytics lab within the Institute for Integrated and Intelligent Systems, accurately predicted who would win 49 of the 50 states in the US election using his big data analytics.
With much of the debate as to whether Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton would win the election taking place online, people blogging, tweeting or updating social media with their thoughts on the topic provided data researchers with a rich source of information about what people were thinking and feeling about the election race.
Griffith acting head of School of ICT Bela Stantic
Associate Prof Stantic was so confident in the result that he publicly announced his prediction even for the known swing states – and his calculations for all swing states were right.
“My algorithms showed clearly to me that based on past patterns and sentiment in social media that Trump, by November 8, would take over the lead, despite only having a 10 per cent chance to win according to all polls at that time,” he said.
“In a public address on big data the day before I even correctly identified all main states that Trump would win (including Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania). Someone in the audience quickly checked online and said according to polls Hilary was 84 per cent favourite.
“I answered that people are likely to be more honest when telling friends rather than answering polls.It is scary how accurate prediction can be done by analysing social media.”
When Griffith’s Big Data and Smart Analytics Lab analysed comments on Twitter towards the end of July, it predicted that if the US Presidential election had been held at that time, Trump would have been the winner over Clinton. Those results were shared at the time in an article on The Conversation.
The same lab using the same method predicted and announced in a public lecture a week before the Australian federal election that the Coalition would win over the ALP.
Over the past several years, presidential elections have served as great testbeds in social media, big data, and analytics, which can go into great detail on how campaigns use this information to find out more about voters.
“Such analytics can provide muchmore accurate information than telephone polling, especially in a day and age where people have caller ID and don’t have landlines,” Associate Prof Stantic says.
“This is why the polls leading up to the election had such inconsistent results.”
“The amount of data that all of us generateis truly staggering, and it is continuing to grow. This publicly available data is secret treasure of information if we know how to discover it.”
Associate Professor Stantic says big dataanalytics is a discipline faced with the challenge of managing the sheer volume of data and turning it into something useful.
“It makes predictions about the future based on the patterns of the past, and finds relationships buried in the data that no one has noticed.”
Similar predictions about the environmental changes of Great Barrier Reef based on ‘Human Sensors’ and Gold Coast visitor satisfaction have been done on projects funded by National Environmental Science Program and City of Gold Coast.
“To further improve predictive power of Big Data analytics there is a need for smarter and faster algorithms to perform deep learning on the large volumes of data drawn from diverse, and we are working on it.”
More than 300 exceptional biomedical scientists, clinical researchers, health professionals and research students are expected to attendthe 12th Gold Coast Health and Medical Research Conference 2016, where translational research for the prevention of chronic disease will be the focus.
The annual conference will feature a unique breadth of biomedical science, genetics, immunology, cancer, clinical, mental and population health experts.
Three research programs fromGriffith’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Understanding Chronic Conditions, Optimising Health Outcomes and Building Healthy Communities, will take centre stage during theDecember 1 and 2 conference to be held a the QT Hotel, Surfers Paradise.
The conference is the premier forum for health and medical research in South-East Queenslandand drawson top Gold Coast institutions, including the Gold Coast University Hospital, Griffith’s Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Bond University, Southern Cross University and the Gold Coast Medical Association. Together they have developed an outstanding two-day program including dynamic guest speakers.
“Significant advances have been made across multiple disciplines in relation to understanding, preventing and treating disease, yet it is unclear why the potential for relinquishing substantial reduction in disease has not been achieved overall and across various subgroups,” says Griffith’s Pro Vice Chancellor (Health) Professor Sheena Reilly.
“Conferences such as this promote interdisciplinary discussions and most importantly, pathways to facilitate effective and sustainable translation.
Focus on prevention
“Appreciating the amazing gains we as a society can make by focusing on prevention rather than cure, we welcome and look forward to engaging with local and national health professionals, clinicians and delegates from other universities, research institutions and government organisations who are joining us this year.”
An exciting new feature of the conference this year is the panel discussion on the Thursday evening (1 Dec), which will be moderated by ABC Science presenter Bernie Hobbs.
Dr Simon Eassom from IBM Watson will present on the future of the health workforce and challengedelegates to think about how the workforce might change over the next few years, particularly in light of artificial intelligence, cognitive computing and the use of robots.
Three panel members, Professor Sharon Mickan from Oxford University, UK; Dr Jeanette Young, Chief Health Officer for Queensland Health and Ms Rachel Hunter, Deputy Chancellor at Griffith and Chair of the Board at Lady Cilento Hospital, will respond to Simon’s talk. There will also be questions and answers with the audience.
For more information on the program, guest speakers or how to register, please visit the conference website: http://gchmrc2016.com
Gold Coast Health and Medical Research Conference 2016
WHEN: Thursday December 1 and Friday December 2.
Registration from 7:30am.
WHERE: QT Hotel, Surfers Paradise.
CONTACT: Louise Durack, 0419 649 516 or email: [email protected]
A unique interdisciplinary course offered for the first time in January 2017 will bring together Griffith students from a variety of disciplines ranging from Business, Arts, Humanities, Photography, Education, Health, Science and Math as a team to undertake applied service project in India. Students will travel to the Western Indian state of Maharashtra, and visit the cities of Mumbai, Malavli and Pune. On this journey, they will develop a range of professional and personal skills through a combination of volunteer work and academic learning. The three week community internship will run from 6th January to 29th January 2017. It is a 10 credit point course (3002LFC) funded for three continuous years through the prestigious Australian Government New Colombo Plan.
Left to right: Ms. Hazel Rands, Dr Dhara Shah, and Mr. Ben Cameron
Dr Dhara Shah from the Griffith Business School’s Department of International Business and Asian Studies and the Griffith Asia Institute is part of the team involved in designing the course. She, along with the Acting Program Director for International Programs (Nursing), the Global Mobility Manager and the Partnership Coordinator (Service Learning) were part of the delegation who traveled to India in February 2016 to design the course by experiencing first-hand what students will become immersed in. The Indian partner for the course, Beyond Borders, will be providing ground support and organize the experiences for students in India. Visit theBeyond Borders Program website for more information.
Public Health Clinic – Raising awareness
The program will include visits to slums, waterways, villages and primary health clinics in order to gain contextual information about the environmental and health conditions of the hard to reach Indian poor. Moreover, students will also visit microfinance providers that issue loans to the poorest in India (particularly women), and discover how a small loan can transform a person’s life and indeed a community. Students will use the knowledge they have obtained in their current disciplines to collaborate on a project in India. They will develop health and finance related resources for promotion to the local population to increase participation rates in social programs. There will also be a language component, ‘Introduction to Hindi’. This opportunity will internationalise our students’ resumes and impress upon prospective employers their practical experience working with diverse people and environments.
In the lead up to their departure, some students have offered their thoughts on what they hope to get out of the internship:
Public school, where the children are from the slums
‘I am very excited to be able to combine both my passions of social work and tourism within this internship. I anticipate learning much about service delivery and the scope for community development and engagement in India and experience the vibrant culture and dynamic lifestyle at the same time. I envisage to come back with shifted perceptions and perhaps even shifted values.’ Naseema
Article byDr Dhara Shah, Lecturer in the Griffith Business School’s Department of International Business and Asian Studies and member of the Griffith Asia Institute.
A passion for providing online legal support to small businesses is the focus for Griffith Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Business student Shaun Milligan, recipient of one of this year’s prestigious New Colombo Plan scholarships.
Launched in 2013, the New Colombo Plan is an Australian Government initiative which aims to lift knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia, by supporting Australian undergraduates to study and take internships in the region. The New Colombo Plan is a scholarship program which funds selected students for periods of study of up to one year.
The program also includes internships and mentorships, as well as flexible mobility grant programs for shorter-term practicums and research.
A fourth-year student from Brisbane’s Holland Park West, Shaun is planning to use his scholarship to complete a six-month study program at the University of Hong Kong, culminating in the establishment of a streamlined and cost effective online commercial dispute resolution (OCDR) system for small businesses.
He says the impetus was when his brother’s small consulting business came under fire by one of the global players in the market for an alleged trademark infringement.
“It was a difficult time for him with the legal issues and we realised how an OCDR system would make things a lot cheaper and easier for both him and the millions in Australia who do not necessarily have the resources to take on the big guys,” says Shaun.
The importance of small business
“The Australian and Hong Kong Governments have also recognised the importance of small businesses in each country’s long term economic plans. However, little OCDR support is available to small businesses that want to establish foreign trade investment between Hong Kong and Australia.
“As a student of law and business, with an understanding of small business pressures, I am passionate about enabling these businesses to compete on a global stage. Hong Kong already has excellent online legal dispute systems and I plan to bring back ideas and knowledge to help small business over here.
“I am hoping to achieve this through collaboration and engagement that opens up new pathways for Australian and Indo-Pacific businesses.”
After Shaun finishes his semester of study at the University of Hong Kong, he wants to intern with the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC).
“This internship will enhance the knowledge I gain through my studies by providing me with practical insights into commercial dispute resolution and other commercial law practices across the region.”
In between study, Shaun has also found time to volunteer with young students with disabilities at the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital School in South Brisbane, helping them with study and fundraising activities.
“I wish to combine small business growth with my personal interest to improve employment conditions and access for the disabled community.
“Australia is recognised for its policy work in Disability Employment. In the future, I want to be the leading lawyer/business person in OCDR for small businesses in Australia and the Indo-Pacific. With the skills and networks that I build through my NCP program, I will return from HK and work within dispute resolution including the industrial issues facing the disabled.”
On his future career, Shaun is keeping his options open but is keen on the idea of becoming a practicing barrister.
“I love participating in mooting competitions which sharpen my public speaking and legal skills and the bar is an attractive career path for me,” he says.
“I have already had some great practice at Griffith which is a very supportive and enriching teaching environment.”
